Archive for March, 2010

By Thunderbird President Ángel Cabrera

One of the best parts of my job as president of the world’s No. 1 school for international business is the chance to meet Thunderbird alumni everywhere I go. This fall I joined about 130 of you at the Thunderbird Global Reunion and Business Forum in Macau. Although 2009 was a year many people would like to forget, we saw business booming at the hotels and casinos of this special administrative region in China. Macau’s prosperity reflects a broader shift east in the global economy’s center of gravity as the world struggles to recover from the worst economic crisis of our generation.
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Texas-based Fluor Corporation likes a challenge when it comes to construction engineering, procurement, maintenance and project management. “The harder the project, the more it plays into our sweet spot,” says Fluor executive Glenn Gilkey. Management of these complex projects requires Fluor to build close relationships with diverse groups of customers, employees and partners all over the world. This ability to get along with others has helped Fluor thrive as a charter member of the Thunderbird International Consortia. | Video: Fluor CEO speaks at Thunderbird about anti-corruption (2:52)
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South Africa’s Standard Bank Group is moving fast in emerging markets. Since the start of 2006, the group has purchased control or significant shares of banks in Nigeria, Argentina, Turkey and Russia. The group also has negotiated a $5.5 billion deal with the world’s largest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. During this period of rapid growth, Standard Bank has emphasized leadership development and executive education. Part of this strategy involves participation in the Thunderbird International Consortia, which brings leaders from different global companies and industries together in the same classroom to share ideas.
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Companies don’t need to sacrifice profitability to help the environment, Ecolab Chairman, President and CEO Douglas Baker Jr. said Feb. 23 at Thunderbird. “There is a load of great ideas that bring environmental advantage and economic advantage,” Baker said. “Until the world is out of those ideas, the ability to go and get people to invest in expensive green technology is limited.” He said companies that want to go green and help the bottom line at the same time need to integrate sustainability into their core values and strategies. “You have to go after this,” he said, “making sure it’s built in, that’s it not a hobby.” Ecolab, a Fortune 500 sanitation supply company, appears on Ethisphere magazine’s list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. | Video: Douglas Baker on Sustainability (1:52)
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By Gregory Unruh, Thunderbird Professor

A few years ago, I was invited to give a talk on climate change at a top European B-School. When I asked why they wanted me, the answer was: “My boss wanted Al Gore but couldn’t afford him.” So I am the Cheap Al Gore, and it’s getting to be a hard job. When I speak about climate change now, I frequently encounter an outspoken minority that belittles the scientific evidence and sidetracks the discussion with misinformation gleaned from the mass media. Science advances through skepticism and healthy debate. However, it is informed skepticism that improves our understanding. What I seem to be confronting now is popular skepticism. Read more in my Huffington Post blog. Recent posts include: Man is the Measure of All Things | The Cheap Al Gore | Sustainability Management vs. Sustainability Leadership | The Olympic Effect

India’s rapid recovery from the global economic crisis signals a new wave in globalization, U.S. Ambassador David C. Mulford said Feb. 25 at Thunderbird. “For the first time in history, a crisis in the established industrial countries has not dragged down the developing world with it,” said Mulford, who served as U.S. ambassador to India from 2004 to 2009. “We have growth distributed around the world on a scale we have not seen before.” Mulford said India and China suffered a significant economic shock when the banking crisis spread through Europe and the United States, but they adjusted quickly. “This was a critical test for India, which the country passed with good marks,” said Mulford, who is currently Vice Chairman International for Credit Suisse. | Video: Ambassador Mulford on India (1:49)
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Will business school graduates have jobs when they graduate this spring? Thunderbird Associate Vice President Kip Harrell discusses a new MBA recruitment survey March 8 on CNBC. Harrell is president of the MBA Career Services Council, an association of business school career management offices that compiled the 2009-10 Winter Survey. ”If you look at the data and talk to career services professionals at 150 of the business schools in the survey, you will find the same thing,” Harrell said. “There are glimmers of hope, there is optimism, and we are seeing signs of life percolate to the surface. It’s not all there yet, but it certainly will be back within the next nine to 12 months. Watch the CNBC interview or read the Jan. 12 report from the MBA Career Services Council.

By Paul Kinsinger, Thunderbird Professor

The global recession has no doubt cost several CI professionals their jobs, and is causing many others to re-think their career prospects going forward. Still, despite companies’ propensity to cut back reflexively on costs, one would think that the times also create an even greater need for market and competitive intelligence. Consider the following: The big consultancies, which have spent much of the recession churning out commentary, analysis and strategy ideas to stay in touch with their clients (and keep their talent gainfully employed), have recently produced several valuable insights for those of us who work with intelligence and business strategy.
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By Karen A. Brown and Nancy Lea Hyer

Many people begin their careers in functional areas such as engineering, accounting, marketing, finance, or information technology and are often taken by surprise when they find their work life consumed with activities related to projects. Many of the people we have interviewed and observed over a 25-year period have felt ill-prepared for the challenges they faced when they landed in positions requiring them to lead temporary, cross-functional teams. Our research has led us to appreciate that in addition to mastering the technical tools and processes of the project management trade, these new leaders must develop mindsets to appreciate opposing perspectives and feel comfortable with complexity and ambiguity. | Video: A Team-based Approach (2:06) | Video: Three Skills You Need (1:15) | Video: Questions You Need to Ask (2:23) | Video: Common Pitfalls (2:05) | Video: Be a Leader (1:38) | Video: Three Forces Driving Project Management (2:17) | Thunderbird Bookshelf: Managing Projects
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